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Best of the Web: The Top 20 Links of the Week

Does this count as a helmet-to-helmet moment? I think Troy Polamalu dodged a bullet, but check out this week’s Best of the Web for more on Troy’s late-hit-punishment ideas, Steeler Christmas ornaments, a new Terrible Towel, Georges Laraque’s acting debut, College bowl projections, MLB free agent bargains and busts, and much, much more.

STEELERS:

-Not surprisingly, Troy Polamalu’s dumb idea to have current players get involved in the punishment of flagrant hits was recently shot down by Roger Goodell. It’s not like there would be any agendas involved among that group. [ESPN]

-If you ever wanted James Harrison hanging on your Christmas tree, 2010 is your lucky year. Harrison, Hines Ward, LaMarr Woodley, Ben Roethlisberger, Heath Miller and Troy Polamalu are now available in ornament form through Giant Eagle for $9.99 each. These are destined to be the Penguins cereal boxes and Roberto Clemente collector’s glasses for a new generation of collectors who think they’re holding a future treasure. [PG]

-Remember Georges Laraque? Well, he’s apparently gotten into acting, as word has spread that he’s involved in the upcoming hockey flick Goonfeaturing Seann William Scott (better known as American Pie‘s “Stifler”), Jay Baruchel (star of the Pittsburgh-based film She’s Out of My League), Eugene Levy (Jim’s dad in American Pie), and Liev Schreiber (Sabretooth in X-Men Origins: Wolverine). That’s quite a different supporting cast than the one he was playing alongside in Pittsburgh a few years ago. [Get to Our Game]

-Reebok recently released this clip of Sidney Crosby testing out a new stick. Any chance that stick could help out on the power play?

-12 veterans from the Wounded Warrior Project and their families were invited to the morning skate on Wednesday as well as the game against the Bruins on Wednesday night through the Mario Lemieux Foundation. The vets were given their own customized jerseys, had a tour of the locker room, and met a certain player who wears #87. [PittsburghPenguins.com]

-Harvey Haddix, author of a perfect game that went into the 13th inning in 1959 and a member of the 1960 World Series champion Pirates, collected an extensive amount of memorabilia from his playing days, and his family is offering several key pieces in an auction, including his 1960 World Series ring. [MH]

Deciding whether Pitt plays physical or dirty is debatable, but here’s one thing I know for sure: January 17, 2011 will be circled on my TV-viewing calendar. We’ll see how Pitt takes to Jardine’s comments. [Rivals]

NHL:

-For this year’s All-Star Game, the 42 players selected will be divided up in a fantasy draft between two designated captains. You mean an All-Star Game can be played for fun and not have to decide who gets home-field advantage in the championship seried? I won’t hear of it. [Puck Daddy]

NFL:

-You’re Jerry Jones…you’ve just fired Wade Phillips…what do you do? What do you do? VEGAS, BABY! [TMZ]

-Stewart Mandel released his 2010-11 college bowl projections, and local teams should all plan for the postseason. Mandel has Penn State (Big Ten #4) playing Mississippi State (SEC #6) in the Gator Bowl on January 1, and WVU (Big East #3) facing Clemson (ACC #5) in the Meineke Car Care Bowl on January 31. But the real eye-catcher is Pitt (Big East Champion) doing battle with Nebraska (Big 12 Champ) in the BCS Fiesta Bowl on January 1.

So let me get this straight…we could be looking at the Winter Classic and a BCS bowl game to start 2011? I like the sound of that. [SI]